The Runner, the Walker and the Worker Part 2

By, Wayne Duncan

The prodigal son.

Luke 15:8

11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, `Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17"When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21"The son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. ' 22"But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. 25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27`Your brother has come,' he replied, `and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, `Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31"`My son,' the father said, `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"

Lets just look at this story for a while and paint the picture a but fuller.

We have a father and his sons. In this picture the father is God. And although this parable is about how happy god is when someone return to him, or becomes saved, or repents, that is the primary meaning, I also believe that there is a strong secondary issue that comes through.
And we will unlock that as we go on.

So we have the father.
Then we have two sons, the on e son comes and asks for his inheritance. The father gives it to him. He divides the land up and gives the portion to the son. We need to see the practicality of this giving. Imagine a farm. It must be divided. Maps would be brought out. And the land divided. The son would then have sold off the land, and taken the money. This would create new neighbors for the family.
We have the son, then takes the money and spends it on wild living, drinking, prostitutes, hotels, travel and friends. Eventually the money runs out.
A great famine breaks out and his poverty starts to hurt. The effects of his folly begin to take toll. He found a job feeding pigs. An ugly dirty job, hard smelly work.
The son became so hungry that he wanted to eat the pigs food, he had hit the low of lows. This is the result of moving away from god, and the place that will be reached if we move continually away from him.

He finds his thoughts wondering home. To his fathers house. He remembers the good ol days. Being In the house, the wealth of the family. He remembers that even the servants in his dads house lived better that he was living now. He comes to his senses and decides to head home.

He decided to humble himself, tell his dad he has no right any longer to be a son. He planned to ask for forgiveness and a job. He quit his job, I suspect he would simply have quit it and set off home.

Now consider the dad for a moment.
Imagine how the father felt when the son lost everything, which meant that all the money from the property division was lost. His share of the land was sold, and…he blew it all on wild living and sleeping with prostitutes. The father now lived on smaller land. The land that he bought or it was passed down through generations, now squandered. How would you feel if your child did this?

Yet what is the fathers reaction?
He sees him from far off. Note here that he sees him before anyone else does. Almost as if he were on a tower watching and waiting. The story almost implies that the father was expecting his return. I wonder if the father had lay awake dreaming of his son. Was he alright. No doubt report had reached him concerning his Childs wild living, and the father must have been devastated. I’m sure any father like this would have said many a prayer, and had many a concern about his son. The father here was waiting and hoping, expecting the return of his son.

The son says sorry. He has come home.
Watch what the father does here.
After embracing him, hugging him and kissing him, destroying and notion of judgment or rejection.




He does four things.

Firstly he called for the best robe. The rags the son was in would do, the father would still accept him, but the father had much in store for his son. Not a coat, but a robe. A robe is a sign of royalty. Bring forth the royal robes. A sign of a prince. It bears the mark and approval of the king. The father was fully endorsing his son as a son.
The son might have rejected it if the father offered it to him, ( this is so often the case with us, god forgives us, but we feel bad and want to stay in our rags, god clothes us with a robe despite our feelings)so the father ordered it to be put on Him.
We are clothed in the garment of righteousness, we are in right standing with God, the Father makes us so!

Secondly the ring
Look at this commentary from the Matthew Henry
put a ring on his hand, a signet-ring, with the arms of the family, in token of his being owned as a branch of the family." Rich people wore rings, and his father hereby signified that though he had spent one portion, yet, upon his repentance, he intended him another.

This was actually a sign that he re-qualified for an inheritance.
This is truly amazing. The father reinstated the inheritance. When the father would die, or get old , this son would again get an inheritance. We see a full reinstatement. What an amazing father. Our father in Heaven, is like no father on earth.

We have the inheritance of the saints. The glorious inheritance in the saints.

Every Spiritual blessing Eph 1:3
Everything we need for life and godliness
The same power that raised Christ from the dead.
The indwelling Holy Spirit 1 Cor 3:16
Healing 1 Peter 2:24
Forgiveness 1 John 1:7
Life Abundant John 10:10
Protection Eph 6
Acceptance in the beloved.
Heirs and co-heirs of Christ
All the promises of Abraham Gal 3



Thirdly the shoes
He came home barefoot, his feet perhaps sore with travel, and therefore, "Put shoes on his feet, to make him easy." Thus does the grace of God provide for true repentance.
Have you ever worked around bare foot on a hard floor. My feet and back eventuality get sore, but when I put the shoes on there is relief. Shoes also give confidence, I would not go out to some places with out shoes, but with them I’m more confidant.

It’s about dignity!

Fourthly he kills the fattened calf.
This animal was prepared and kept for special occasions. This was the highest honor.
This not only met the basic need of hunger, but went way beyond…they feasted.
The father could have said, bring some leftovers, bring some food from the fridge, but no he ordered a celebration feast. The fattened calf was a symbol of celebration, an occasion of great joy.
A celebration in a rich home would have included dancers, musicians and singers…the son has returned!!
It was a festival for the whole family.

Why all this to have a party..no the father was celebrating the presence of the son.
The father celebrates you, he loves your presence!

Do you ever say “oh lord where are you?” or “you seem so far” or “lord will you come to me”.
When you see the fathers heart, you need never long for Him, you can rest in the knowledge that He celebrates our presence.
God is always on..He does not turn off or turn away.

Do you know that at the cross Jesus said “my father my father why have you deserted me?”…when Jesus became our sin the father looked away.
The perfect trinity was broken for a time.
The father rejected our sin in Christ, so that He would have the privilege to never turn or look away from us.



One commentary stated this:
“Note, There is excellent food provided by our heavenly Father for all those that arise and come to him. Christ himself is the Bread of Life”

All this speaks of and reflects the father s heart towards us.

This is true for the Christian that has been far from god. But this mercy is here for us every time we sin.

Friend if you are far from God, he is on a tower waiting for you to begin the run home. His loving arms will embrace you. He will hug you and kiss you.

Please leave the pigs pit and the mud. If your not yet that far gone as to be in the pigs pit, please return to the father before you get there.

We need to constantly go to the father. When we sin, and we truly return to god and repent, he forgives us fully, we then become established as sons, with full rights.

Now let us remain in the father’s mansion. The father is pleased to have the son in the house. Let us stay with the father in his house.